Washington Internships: How to Get Them and Use Them to Launch Your Public Policy Career

Washington Internships: How to Get Them and Use Them to Launch Your Public Policy Career

Synopsis

For students interested in a career in politics and public service, Washington Internships is an invaluable guide to landing that crucial first position in America's capital. Deirdre Martinez, a former policy analyst and legislative director, shares practical strategies for each phase of the internship process. She has helped place hundreds of young people in internships of all kinds, and shares not just what to do but when to do it. The book shows how to develop relevant interests, what skills to develop, how to enhance the resume (poli sci course work not required!), and how to ace the interview. Just as important, it shows how to become a valued intern and build the relationships that lead to post-graduation job offers. Washington Internships also provides insider tips on dealing with grunt work, the pitfalls of "crossing the aisle," and how to find summer housing, deal with background checks, and negotiate Washington fashion ("zombie chic").

Washington Internships is the only career publication focused on entry-level policy and government work. It covers all branches of government, federal agencies, lobbying firms, advocacy organizations, and think tanks. Whether you're a young activist or a future power broker, this book will help you grab the first rung of the public service career ladder.

Excerpt

Washington, D.C., has been called the “internship capital” of the United States, and with 20,000 interns every summer, the name probably fits. More than any other city, Washington welcomes interns with open arms, giving students the opportunity to see how the United States government functions up close and personal. in Congress, media organizations, lobbying offices, and nonprofits, interns open mail and answer phones and run errands but they also write policy briefs, get published, and hear Members of Congress use words they wrote.

Washington is at once a small town whose streets and neighborhoods will quickly become familiar to you and a huge metropolitan area where you can find internships in a vast number of fields. As Director of Penn in Washington at the University of Pennsylvania, I have helped hundreds of students find internships in Washington. Some students know very little about how our government actually works and want to just be there to soak it all in; where better than the front desk of a congressional office? Others have been close ob-